Can or box lid



J. PETERSON CAN OR BOX LID Feb. 14, 1928.

Filed March 8. 1926 INVENTOR Jmq TH/P/V Perez-50v BY W.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED srarss P JONATHA rErEnson, or snooEnYn, nEw roan,

. resents Arrar OFFICE.

assronoa TO COMBINATION MA- CHINE oorrranv, or NEW YORK, 13. Y., a oonronarron or DELAWARE.

CAN 0B BOX LID.

Application filed Earth 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,140.

My invention relates to improvements in can or box lid or cover structures.

In the present specific example the invention=is embodied in a lid for snutl' bones and particularly a lid having a spoonformation; but the invention is not necessarily limited to such uses nor is the lid structure necessarily provided with a spoon formation.

In certain respects the present invention is an improvement upon that described in patent to me, No. 1,344,650, of April 29, 1920, which disclosed pressed sheet metal lid adapted for snuif lOOXiES Ol cans and hav ing a spoon formation as a convenience to the user in dipping snuff from the box and utilizing the amount so dipped inthe ways employed by snuff users, without wastage involved in pouring the snuff frointhe box, or other ways of utilizing snulf theretofore employed. The lid disclosed in said patent, is, however, relatively difiicultand expensive tomanufacture, since it is made of a single piece of sheet metal and the formations relatively deep and require difficult and c2;- pensive pressing or stamping operations.

An important object of the present invention is to improve upon the liddisclosed in said patent by forming it in two pieces instead of one. By this means the spoon and other formations may be more easily and. cheaply produced and especially the pressing operations are simplified. At the same time the lid is so formed that it materially reenforces the can to which it is applied, as more fully explained hereafter.

The characteristics and advantagesof the invention are further sufficiently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawing, which shows one representative embodiment of the invention. After considering this example, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made, and contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims. i

In the; drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a canlid, embodying the invention in one form, shown in position on a can for which it is adapted.

Fig. 2 is a section at 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section (of the upper part of the can and the complete lid) at 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a composite perspective view of the two lid parts disconnected but inv approximate positions for connection or assembly.

In the present specific embodiment of the invention the lid L is adapted to a sheet metal snufi' can C having flat parallel side walls 1, roundedends 2, a bottom 3 and a top edge l above the head 5, this bead usually being providedfor deco ative appearance and to stiffen the wall structure, although it is not essential, so=far as the present lid is concerned. The can body including walls 1 and 2 may sometimes be of cardboard or other material and in such cases the bottom may be of sheet metal and secured to the body in any convenient way. i

The lid comprises an outer or top member T and an inner or bottom member B. Each of these members or parts is of pressed sheet metal. The top has its outer wall 10 of a contour conforming to the plan contour of the can. The wall 10 is bent at1tho margin to form a peripheral wall or lip 11, the ends 12 of which are usually relatively shallow. A. spoon or bowl 13 is formed in one end portion of the top 10.

The inner or bottom sect-ion l5 comprises a main or bottom wall 15, usually withupwardlysloping end portions 16, and a pe ripheral wall 17, the end portionslSof which are relatively shallow to correspond with the shallow ends 12 of the top meuil'ier 10. Along the major part of the length of eachs'ide wall 17, at the upper edge thereof, the material is bent outward to providea flange 19, and a shallower flange or lip 20 may be continued about the remainder of the side and end wall contour. l

The top and bottom sections may be sccured together in various ways, for example, by .spot welding along the lines of the flanges 19 or the narrow margins or lips 20 where these parts engage the inner surface of the top section; otherwise the two parts are sufficiently connected by engagement of the flanges 19 in beads 25, as fully explained hereafter. v

The flanges 19 fit in longitudinal recesses or sockets 25 pressed or swaged outwardly in the side walls 11 of the top section T where these sidewalls adjoin the top wall 10. These socket or concave formations at the inside of the top structure produce convex beads or ribs at the outside, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 1. The formations 19 and 25 till may be produced on the independent parts or may in some cases be formed as the parts are pressed together. In either case the completed lid consists of the top and bottom sections '1 and B interlocked, as shown in Fig. 3, by the llanges 19 fitting in the longitudinal beads or sockets 25. The walls 1'? and 18 of the bottom section are then spaced somewhat away from the adjacent walls 11 and 12 of the top section, permitting the upper wall margin t of the can to be located in the space thus provided. By this arrangement the can is materially rcentorced when the cover is in posit-ion, since the walls 17 of the inner lid section B confront the flat side walls of the can and prevent them from being bent inward. This is important, not only to preserve the shape of the can under pocket or other pressure, but because in the absence of such means, inadvertent bending of the side walls produces a bellows action, tending, when the can is tilled with line, dry snuil, to pull the snui'l' out through narrow interstices between thecan rim and lid, with obvious objectionable results, as well as unnecessary loss of the material.

The spoon formation near one end of the lid is available for removal of small quantities of snull from the can for use in any ol the ways known to snuff users, by slightly tilting the lid after removal from the can and insertingthe spoon end into the can, whereupon the desired quantity of snulf may be dipped up in the spoon and then applied for use in any of the known Ways. The rounded fOYIl'ltltlOIlS of the lid adjacent, the spoon prevent accidental injury to the face or fingers of the snull user which might otherwise result from ragged edges adjacent the spoon torn'iation. Especially, the provision of aspoon or bowl with rounded contours obviates the use of an ordinary tin lid with ragged tin edges in lieu of a spoon or dipper. Use of such ordinary lids frequently causes cuts or scratches by contact of-the raw edge with the face or fingers.

The flanges if) on the bottom section B cooperate with the head or socket formations 25, and not only serve to effectively lock these two lid sections together, but the beads 25 which are convex at the outside of the lid, provide a convenient linger grip to aid in removing the lid and also act to practically automatically direct the user to grasp the lid at the long sides and remove it by a straight pull or sidcwise tilting, which avoids the greater risk of deforming the lid when it is tilted endwise in removal. As compared with previous structures, as illustrated in the patent above referred to, in which the lid isYtormed of a single pressed sheet, the present lid structure consisting of two pressed sheet members may be produced with relatively simple and inexpensive press-- ing or swaging operations, and especially the deformation of the metal is not so deep or abrupt as in the other lid referred to, and therefore the present lid structure may be more ellicicntly and economically made.

The arrangement of the inner and outer cover walls 17, 18 and 11, 12, respectively, to provide a recess to receive the upper margin of the body, provides a very tight closure to securely retain the contents, which, in many cases, is dry finely pulverized snull', and prevents this dust-like material from sitting out of the container when closed.

The lit between the body and the lid walls may he even closer than slmwn in the drawings, which show slight clearance between these walls, for the sake of illustrative clearness. This tight or dust-proof closure is important, not only to prevent the waste of the contents, but annoyance caused by escape or sitting of the POWdEP-lllie snufl' into the pocket or upon the clothing of the user.

1 claim:

1. A combined can lid and snnll' dipper of oblong outline composed ol. a bottom and a top section, the sections flanged laterally and arranged with the flanges adjacent and with the flange of the bottom section fitting within the llangc ot' the top section, the top section having at the long sides thereof opposite internal grooves at the junction of the flange with the body of the section, and the flange of thebottom section having extensions engaging within the grooves to connect the sections, the grooves providing external ribs at the long sides of the lid for engagement by the fingers to remove and replace the lid.

2. A combined can lid and snufl dipper of oblong outline composed of a bottom and a top section, the sections flanged laterally and arranged with the flanges adjacent and with the flange of the bottom section titling within the flange of the top section, the top section having at the long sides thereof opposite internal grooves at the junction of thefiange with the body of the section, and the flange of the bottom section having extensions engaging within the grooves to con ncct the sections, the grooves providing external ribs at the long sides of the lid for engagement by the lingers to remove and replace the lid, the top'section having at one end a depressed spoon formation, and the ends of the bottom section inclining upwardly toward the top section to provide a lid having ends decreasing in thickness.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 2nd day of May A. D. 1926.

JONATHAN PETERSON.

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